Garage structure



R. IRVIN GARAGE STRUCTURE V @cm 4, 19276 Filed Aug. 14, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTOR WITNESSES @XQW R. lRVlN GARAGE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 14; 1926 s Sheets-Sheei 2' INVENTa/f WITNESSES a. 4, 192?. R WIN 8 GARAGE STRUCTURE Filed A1122. 14, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VE/VTOR w/ TNE 86 ES UMKWZ i Qumym;

Patented Oct. 4,1927

UNITED STAT arcmnn mvntor moxvnmn, raunsnvmm.

GARAGE STRUCTURE.

Application filed August 14, 1926. Serial 80. 129,114.

My invention relates to garages and other structures to which vehicles have access, and which contain a plurality of floors or stories arranged at successive heights; The objects in view are increased-facility in moving vehicles to and from any particular point in. the building; this together with maximum capacity for storing automobiles or other vehicles within minimum limits of ground area and height of building.

This application is in part acontinuation of an application filed by me February 4,- 1926, Serial No. 85,926.

A garage or storage building of myinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. section through the building; Fig. II is a view in longitudinal section, on the plane 1 indicated at .IIII, Fig. I; and Fig.- III is a view in transverse section, on the plane III-I II, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a" fragmentary view to larger scale, on the planeindicated at IVIV, Fig. I and showing diagrammatically a detail of structure.

The floor surface of this structure, from ground to roof, is essentially obliquely helicoidal in its extent, but the shape is modified and departs from a true oblique helicoid in these particular respects: first, the helicoid is developed, not on asingleaxis, but on a plurality of axes, and. preferably, as here illustrated, on two axes. Referring to Fig. I of the drawings, the floor surface there seen in plan is developed about two vertical axes, whose positions are indicated at D and B. 0 one side, to the right of a vertic'al plane extending the structure and define by the axes D an B "(the helix is left-handed, the ascent being in counterclockwise direction), the helicoid is developed on B as the center of the generatrices; to the other side,- to the left'of that vertical plane, the helic'oid'is developed on the center D..

A second modification of the obliquely helicoidal shape lies in this, that the change from one of the axes to the other as the center for the generatrices, occurs, not in the medial vertical surface defined by the axes 0 D andB, but in a plane with respect to the new center, which the rising helicoid meets somewhat'in advance of .the plane D vB. 'InFi I of the dual I have indicated by t e lines D E an planes m which thechange indicated takes place. The hel 01d.-rising to the right of Fig. I is a view in horizontal and medially through d hmit dimensions are, first, that there shall be area shall be urgent, land is of B F vertical,

plane D B is developed upon the axis 13, up to the planeD E. There the center shifts from B to D and the helicoid continues to develop on D as a center until the plane B 'F is reached,,a'nd there the center shifts again. These planes D E and B F are subtended by the rising -"s iral somewhat in advance of the plane de ned by the axes D and B. The purpose of this refinement in structure will presently be indicated.

A third modificatiomof the obliquely helico1dal shape lies in this, that the: angleof obliquity changes. at successive points in the course of the development of the helicoid. The generatrices form with the axis of development at successive points in the development angles of different value. That is to say the angle of the banking of the floor changes in the course of the rise of the In a fourth respect the. floor in its form A fifth. modification of the helicoid is that the pitch varies, being alternately of increased and of diminished gradient.

The floor includes an inner portion which constitutes a ramp, for the ascent and descent of vehicles, and an outer portion which con- StltlltGS storage areas. Theconditions which head room between successive turns of the hehcoid second, that the ram such in size and itch as to afiow cars to be moved up and own upon it with proper freedom; and,'thi'rd, that the obliquity of the ramp, that is'to say its inclination-transversely shall be such as to afford greatest facility in moving cars up and down upon I it. In, city regions, where the problem of finding areas for automobiles at rest is most' I atest value, and it becomes necessary to uild garages for store on ground maximum storage area or floor combined from floor to floor, y

areas of extent y invention is a solution of the problem, and affords upon a: minimum ground-area,

The drawings show a particular building in which the features which I-have indicated are actually embodied. Referring still to Fig. I, Iwould indicate first the rectangle and 2 and intervening opposite reaches 3 bto say,

its outeredge, and the degree of inclination course of a car'asit runs along the ramp in and 4. The outermost dimensions of this ramp portion are in this particular building 85 by 90 feet, and, throughout the straightaway portions of its course, the ramp is in the clear 25 feet wide- I find it convenient to form the gradient portions 3 and 4'at 9 per cent and the gradient portions land 2- at 4 per cent.

The ramp is banked transversely; that is inclined upwardly from its inner to in the banking is-suited to the normal curved ascent or descent. This transverse inclination is greatest at the corners, in the regions A-M, B-A, CO, and D'P, and is least midway along the rectangular sides. In

.short, my ramp is so built that cars may travel it with greatest-expedition, considering the limited areaswithin which the cars must be handled. The gradient of the reaches 1 and 2 is in Fig. III indicated by the line a-b; and the gradient of the reaches 3 and 4 is in Fig. II indicated by the line od. The banking of the ramp across the reach'2 is in Fig. II indicated by the line On either side of the helicoidal ramp and continuous with the ramp throughout the reaches land 2 extend the succesive floors 5 and 6. The fioors-6 it will be perceived alternate in height with the floors 5, and the floors of each series rise in vertical succession with head room between. In this particular installation then the ramp is extended along reaches 1 and 2 in floors 5 and 6,

but in reaches 3 and 4 is closed iii'by adj acent walls, with the consequence that the building is of elongate rectangular plan, as best seen in Fig. I. But, as will readily be understood, reaches 3 and 4, as well as reaches 1 and 2, might be made longer and of reduced gradient, and floors might extend from them also. Indeed, the successive floors, 6, 5, etc.,may be considered as fragments of one floor extending from the outer rim' of the ramp through all its ascent.

The floors 5 and 6 which extend from reaches land 20f the ramp are continuous with the ramp surface, both in its longitudinal inclination (of 4 per cent) and in its transverse inclination: this to'the end that cars may run freely from ramp to floor and from floor to ramp. The 4 per cent inclination transversel' of the building (in the direction 3-0, N, A--D, M-P) need notbe distrubed. The floors 5 and 6 "0 may maintain this inclination. It is slight l and is not disturbing in the matter of the storage of cars on the floors 5 and 6. But in the other direction, longitudinally of the building, since the inclination is greater than 1 otherwise is desirable, each floor in its further extent from the ramp outward is warped, itsdegree of inclination is diminished, and brought approximately to level. The floor is preferably not brought exactly to level, for a certain degree of inclination is still to be desired, for purposes of drainage. The degree of inclination is, however, reduced, from that imposed by the ramp to that minimumdegree suflicient for drainage $5 and no more. In Fig. I the arrows indicate inclination, and they point upward. 'It'will then be seen that area 6 is lower and area 5 higher; that on the right-handside, the low 1point is at B and that on the higher leftv extend the floor spaces 7 and 8. These floor spaces, too, may correspond in inclination with the lnclination of the reaches 1 and 2 of the ramp, they too may be warped from continuity with the ramp to approximate level, and they, too, may constitute floor areas for the reception of and the storage of cars, but they too will slope as the arrows indicate to the common dralnage.

In consequence of the development of the helicoidal shape of the floor on two axes rather than on one, and in consequence of shiftina of the axis along the planes D E and B which the ascending helicoid sub- 1 tends slightly before the plane D B is reached (the angle which the planes D E and B F form with the plane D B may advantageously be from 20 to 30), slight ridges are formed in the floor on the lines D E and B F, and these ridges divide the otherwise continuous floor into sections. Each section has its low point, the section to the left at D, the section to the right at B.

Drains are arranged at D and B, and con-' floors the fiood of water from an upper floor 5 does not sweep down a ramp portion 4 to the ramp is thus ke .t free of a flood which otherwise would hinder 'the movement of cars. Furthermore, by providing thesemany escapes for smaller'quantities of wash water, the bell traps may be looked after more effectively and kept free of obstruction, and injury to them may thus be prevented. In Fig. I the vertical line 11-12 ma vbe understood to define the vertical plane w 'ch in Fig. the vertical line 21-22 the vertical plane ofB-D, Fig. I; The point D lies in both of these lanes. The dotted line D-13, Fig. IV defines the slight ridge .or watershed which causes, the wash water which sweeps floor 5 to descend to the drain at D, rather than to pour down .the ramp surface 4, I

The variations of obliquity -within the, ramp afford the best. disposition of surface.

for expedition in moving cars; theiwarping of the storage floors outwardly. from the ramp affords freest access to the storage I is defined by the line D'E, and

areas and proper approximately horizontal extent of storage areas. This war ing is con ointly advantageous, affording t e est disposition of surface both for handling the cars and for washing the floors.

I claim as my invention:

In a building for the reception of vehicles a spiral ramp rising from ground level through the building, the spiral being developed on two vert1calaxes spaced apart, and the surface of the ramp being inclined downwardly toward the axes, the. change from one axis to the other in the development of the spiral occurring along a line in advance of the vertical plane common to the two axes, thus forming a watershed, the surface of the ramp extending to the walls of the building and in such extension being warped toward the horizontal and constituting storage areas,

In testimony whereof I-have hereunto set my hand.

RICHARD IRVIN. 

